Aaron Donald spends his offseasons back home in Pittsburgh, training at facility shared by the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers. And for the first time since coming into the NFL, Donald will be playing a game in the city where he grew up.
Perhaps playing in front of friends and family will provide an added level of motivation, but no matter where Donald suits up, he’s a dominant force. Mike Tomlin will get a taste of that for the second time in his coaching career on Sunday, and he’s not all that excited.
“Any discussions start with minimizing Aaron Donald and the ways he can control and dominate a game,” Tomlin said, via the Tribune-Review. “They move him around a lot. All you have to do is look at his sack reel, and it illustrates that. He’s got sacks against right guards, against left guards, against left tackles. This guy moves up and down the line of scrimmage.”
Donald hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers this season, recording five sacks in eight games. He’s still on pace for another double-digit sack season, but he likely won’t sniff the 20.5 sacks he had a year ago.
That doesn’t mean he’s been unproductive, of course. He’s still fending off double- and triple-teams more often than any other player in the NFL, which does help his teammates find success.
“People work hard to get bodies on him and minimize his impact on the game,” Tomlin said. “Often, when you do that, it creates opportunities for others,” Tomlin said. “That’s what the strength of the pack is.
“You have to pick your poison.”
Dante Fowler Jr. is taking advantage of his increased one-on-one opportunities, recording 6.5 sacks to lead the Rams. Clay Matthews also had six sacks in five games before breaking his jaw, many of which came on free rushes and stunts.
The Steelers know what a great challenge it is trying to stop Donald, but they can’t just ignore the other pass rushers – and that’s what makes the Rams defense dangerous.
